Ring Ceremony, Class of 2016

Big day for Savannah!  She received her class ring along with several of her classmates tonight.

Zach's ceremony seemed more meaningful to me.  They kept the focus on the community of the class and the rings while Savannah's ceremony almost seemed more like a graduation.  Zach's ceremony occurred during the day followed by a nice luncheon.  Savannah's ceremony took place in the evening which allowed for Andy to attend as he could not attend Zach's.  It made it easier for me to attend, but I definitely think there should have at least been a dessert reception afterward.  Instead, it was a crazy free for all as people tried to gather for pictures.  I will also say that Zach also visited his elementary campus which was near the luncheon and shared his big day with the teachers who remembered him, and I know the teachers loved that a few students did that.  Savannah's class was not afforded the same opportunity.

I love the cut and color of Savannah's stone.  It is really eye-catching in the right light.  Because her name is long, and her ring is small, she opted to have her last name on one side of the stone and her class year on the other.  One side of her ring reflects her school experience with both visual and musical arts.  The other side includes her sports: field hockey and track along with a cross.  She really debated about field hockey since she has not played since freshman year, but I reminded her that for most students a class ring is solely a high school ring.  However, Savannah has attended the same school since kindergarten making this a school ring, and she spent more years playing field hockey than track, so it makes sense.  

We finished the evening with ice cream and a few friends.  Savannah is having a very stressful junior year, but good things are happening weekly.  Class ring this week, maybe a restricted driver's license next?  - We shall see.

Frugal Moms tip:  We paid for Savannah's ring by saving for it from the time she was in elementary school.  All the kids have savings accounts that were started when they were babies or when they joined the family.  We put a very small amount in each of those accounts each pay period.  We started with $5 per child.  When they reached fourth grade, we doubled that amount. Just a little bit accumulates nicely over time, and these accounts should cover class rings, senior pictures, and the senior trip.  Our original goal was that they would kick-start college, but high school has its own pricey details.  Zach's account has covered some college expenses, and Savannah's account covered the fee for her dual credit class which will give her four hours of college credit when she completes it.